The best crime thriller book reviews. “Crime thriller” is a catch-all term for thriller subgenres that feature a struggle for dominance between criminals and law enforcement, such as mafia thriller, police procedural, detective fiction, true crime, serial killer fiction and others.
The Bottom Line: Pronko’s best Hiroshi series book yet. Hiroshi is now as synonymous with Tokyo crime fiction as Harry Bosch is to LA noir. Voted the Best Mystery of 2021. Detective Hiroshi’s latest case revolves around the likely suicide of a Japanese media executive who appears to have jumped from the roof of a 20-story building. He died in the exact same spot as […]
Tokyo Zangyo, the Year’s Best Mystery Novel READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: Honored in the Best Thriller Book Awards as the Best Crime Thriller of 2021. At the end of his life, a man is forced to face his past in the cold light of truth. That’s the official hype, anyway…Richie – a lifelong mob hitman – must come to terms with the death of his best friend, a mounting government investigation into his
The Three Lives of Richie O’Malley, the Year’s Best Crime Thriller READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: Murder mystery meets quantum fiction in this addictive, cinematic novel from the author of The Newton Code. Honored in the Best Thriller Book Awards as the Best Sci-Fi Thriller of 2021. Liam Fialkov’s latest novel opens with a lecture at Columbia University by Professor Patrick Eldrige, an authority on quantum physics. Eldridge makes a bold claim: after the lecture, he will travel
A Quantum Alibi, The Year’s Best Sci-Fi Thriller READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: A well-crafted mafia thriller set in the modern age. As far as his wife and the government knows, 46-year-old Al Vacarro works for Castella Shipping & Transport. But Al and his boss, Eddie Castella, are in fact mobsters. But the business is changing, and Al wants out. The question facing him is one as old as time: will the mob ever let
Burn Me Out, a Top-Shelf Mafia Thriller by Brandon Barrows READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: Honored in the Best Thriller Book Awards as the Best Psychological Thriller of 2021. When two predators come to 12-year-old Emily Calby’s home asking to siphon gasoline, she immediately senses what her mother does not – their lives are in imminent danger. Only Emily escapes. Armed with extraordinary powers of perception and five-thousand dollars that her father had stashed in the garage,
The Hiding Girl, The Year’s Best Psychological Thriller READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: A hard-hitting serial killer thriller that deftly explores the homeless crisis and the role of law enforcement with unflinching realism. Highly recommended. Human Strays begins with three executions in reverse chronological order. One may or may not be an act of mercy in a hospital, as a woman is taken off life support by her son with terrifying results. The second is
Human Strays, a Highly Recommended Serial Killer Thriller by Bruce Lewis READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: A quirky romantic suspense novel told through the lens of time travel. Time Out! is the story of Wally Stephens’ unusual journey back in time. Faced with his 10-year high school reunion, he finds himself disappointed by how little he’s accomplished in life so far. He’s also obsessed with Cindy Connor, a girl he admired from afar but never had the courage
Time Out!, a Quirky Romantic Suspense Novel by Kevin Creager READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: A sexy legal thriller that deftly blends an international terror plot with romantic obsession. Honored as the Best Legal Thriller of 2021. Despite having no experience in criminal defense, civil attorney Monica Spade is ordered to represent an accused murderer. The accused, a demure Romanian woman named Stela, purportedly stabbed her boyfriend 13 times before being admitted to the hospital as a possible
Standby Counsel, the The Year’s Best Legal Thriller, by Alexi Venice READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: One of the Best Thrillers of 2021. A deliciously disturbing whodunnit filled with twists and turns that will appeal to young adults and seasoned mystery fans alike. Aubrey LeRoux has returned to Waverly Prep, her old Southern college-prep school, but this time as the new history teacher. Aubrey was prepared for an icy reception from the hardened headmistress, who has not thawed
Have You Seen Me?, The Year’s Best Horror Novel READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: A small town police procedural with a big heart and a shocking finale. Set in the early 1990s, Strangers’ Kingdom tells the story of police detective Luke Campbell’s quest for a fresh start. The former Albany cop had the city’s second-highest closure rate in the major crimes division before he shot a politician’s son in self-defense, leading to a career-threatening internal affairs
Strangers’ Kingdom, a Big-Hearted Police Procedural by Brandon Barrows READ MORE >
